


Pronouns

by TheFairysPath (friendlyneighborhoodfairy)



Series: The Path I Took (WWTDP 2018) [17]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Aprons, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Gender Dysphoria, Gender Identity, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderfluid Character, M/M, Minerva gets a hug, Misgendering, Orga is a sweetheart, Other, Sting is chaotic neutral, Surprise Ending, gender questioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 12:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlyneighborhoodfairy/pseuds/TheFairysPath
Summary: Sting keeps misgendering Min(erva). They don't know how to tell him.(Fic #3 forWhen We Take Different Pathsgender week.)





	Pronouns

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt = pronouns + gender questioning. Yukinerva, Stingue, Orfus.
> 
> Sting is Natsu Jr >.<

"Miiiiin," Orga called.

"Coming," Min grumbled, putting down the spatula. If they were going to be interrupted a third time, it had better be for a damn good reason.

When they emerged from the guild kitchens, it was to find Rufus and Sting in a verbal sparring match with Rogue egging them on.

"Yes?" Min asked, raising an eyebrow at Orga. "You want me to break this up?"

"No, actually, Sting wanted you. Sting! Yo!"

"And that's not even— Oh, hey, Minerva," Sting said brightly, turning his back on Rufus, who gave him the finger. "I saw that, Rufus."

"Saw what? I don't remember you growing eyes in the back of your head."

"I  _remember_  that you always like to end the arguments you lose by flipping people off," Sting said. "For someone who is supposed to have a good memory, you should know that."

Rufus flipped him off with  _both_  hands.

"Oh my gods." Min rolled their eyes. "I'm going back to my cooking until you can be mature."

"That'll be in a few decades," Rogue murmured, and Min chuckled in spite of themself.

"Sting, you were going to tell  **Min**  about that mission?" Orga prompted, grabbing his boyfriend's hands to stop the war of silent communication going on between the pair. Rufus retaliated with something that looked like a half-bite half-kiss to his neck, which was the highest part of Orga he could reach on tiptoe.

"Okay, okay. Minerva," Sting said, not at all picking up on Orga's subtle hint about the name, "I've got a proposition for you."

"Yukino will have something to say to that," Min interjected.

" _I'll_  have something to say about that," Rogue said.

Sting blinked and looked between the two of them. "What?"

"Oh my  _gods,_  Sting: a proposition?" Rogue said.

Sting tilted his head in confusion, then, "Oh. Ohhh. Hah. Yeah, not like that," he told Min. "Not that you're not attractive, but Rogue would kill me."

" _Sting Eucliffe—_ "

Sting had to jump over the bar to avoid Rogue's hand aimed at his head, Sting laughing the whole time. He looked up at Min from the floor. "Um. Shall we go in the kitchen? I seem to be the center of trouble."

"You're  _causing_ trouble," they snorted, grabbing his arm and dragging him back into their domain. "Okay. Something about a job?"

"Yeah, so— What is that?"

Sting pointed at what hung on the back of the door.

"An apron."

"It's frilly."

"Yes. Yukino likes frilly things. And Yukino cooks in here just like I do."

"But yours isn't frilly."

"I don't like frilly things," Min said, hands on hips. Sting would be the end of their sanity.

"Yeah, I just… Wait, was he calling you  _Min?_ "

"Gods, Sting," they sighed, turning their back on him and inspecting the bowl of batter they'd abandoned. "Yes, it's Min now. Can you handle that?"

"Yeah," Sting said obviously. "Why wouldn't I?"

They turned back around to find him leaning on the counter with arms crossed, expression serious and concerned. They forgot sometimes that Sting did in fact have a brain—and a heart: quite a big one.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"What else would there be?"

"Miner—Min," he said, throwing them a look. "I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

"I don't—whatever. I'd…I'd like for you to stop calling me my lady," they said.

"Done," Sting nodded.

They gripped their shaking hands behind their back. Gods, why was this so hard? They were usually so self-contained, and to lose that countenance here, around  _Sting_  of all people, whom they'd practically grown up with…

But hey'd told people this part of themself before. They'd said it, numerous times, and still every time it felt like the truth was strangling them. Like they were asking others to do something awful and disgusting, shame nearly choking Min at having to ask this, daring to insist upon it. Daring to show their vulnerable face.

"Th-They," Min finally stuttered out, breath heaving out of them. "I want you to call me they and them."

"Okay," Sting said, and it couldn't be their imagination that his voice had softened. "For how long?"

"Hm?" they looked up from their attempts not to cry.

"How long have you wanted this? How long have you been…"

"A while."

The kitchen was silent. At rest.

"It started when I came back—when you brought me back to the guild. I…started to feel uncomfortable, and I couldn't tell why. One day I tried s-some…men's clothes. I liked it. I pulled up my hair and wore a hat, and then I started binding, and then it was learning how to walk and…I started doing it a lot.

"It was just for me, until Yukino found out and asked me if I were trans. I didn't know. Because one week I'd like it, and the next I wanted to wear dresses and put on makeup and wear heels. I never knew from one day to the next. I still don't." They paused to catch their breath, dark hair hanging down around their face as they watched the floor. "I don't have a label. Not yet. But Yukino is okay with that.

"Orga found out when I…" Min laughed. "Well, I used the men's toilet once and he was waiting to use it and…but he's been really good about it. Rufus too. I guess he has a cousin who's fluid? I don't know if that's what I am. I can't…I don't…there aren't good words. I just have to," they swallowed, "ask you all to be patient and understanding."

"Of  _course_  we will, Min. That's not even in question."

They sniffed silently and heard footsteps. Sting's arms wrapped around them, tight, warm. Min stood stock still for a moment. They were totally not ready for this. But, listening to their heart, they found this was what they needed, what they wanted all along. To be accepted and, more than that, comforted.

They leaned on him, accepting the embrace and wiping their eyes.

"You're always one of us," he said. "You've got the guildmark to prove it, although even without it, we'd count you as our family. Sabertooth is yours. We're here for you. Always, okay? And if you need to ask us to change pronouns or use different words or names, that's fine. Please, anything you need. I'd so much rather do things to make you comfortable than be ignorant and hurt you on accident."

Min had lost the fight against crying, sniffling into his shoulder. He hugged them until they subsided, breaths finally evening out.

"Thanks," they whispered, pulling back.

Sting smiled and nodded. He knew what they meant.

"So," Min wiped their cheeks, "I heard something about a job?"

"Yeah," Sting laughed, rubbing his neck, "although it'll feel a little anticlimactic after all that. Rogue and I encountered a teensy little problem…"

Min smiled, settling into the familiarity of his words.

Sting was family. They should never have doubted him. He would be here through anything.


End file.
